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An alternative to surgery is a gallstone removal by chemical dissolution, the so-called gallbladder flush. This traditional European folk remedy recommends the use of olive oil and lemon juice to flush the gallstones. A primary concern is that if the stones are too big, they may not easily come out or may even get stuck on the way out. [7]
If your problem is gallstone, you should know that traditional Chinese medicine recommends the use of Gold Coin Grass. This plant is supposed to crush and soften the stones so that they will come out slowly. The problem is that this tends to take a relatively long time, but the upside is it does not cause any side effects.
Problem With Gallstones
When gallstones exist, the gallbladder cannot contract efficiently, and only stones in the front area of the gallbladder can be pushed out in the first flush. Then the stones from the back area would slowly move forward and may cause repeated problems.
Flushing is a process used to clean out all the stones, and it needs three to four repeats to achieve results. The patient should repeat the flush until hardly any stone comes out even though a patient has had a good flush. The weaker a gallbladder's contraction, the more flushes will be needed to push out all the stones. A good flush means that all the loose stones are out and the patient feels good for at least a few days. The remaining stones are packed ones, which should be allowed to loosen up and get ready to come out. The interval between good flushes should be 1-2 months, because repeating the flush too soon after a good flush may be a waste of effort as the packed stones are not ready to come out yet. Once the stones form, the gallbladder tends to be sluggish.[7]
There is a possibility that the new stones form again. Therefore 1 to 2 flushes a year is recommended for maintenance. The actual problem if the gallbladder loads with stones, is that there is limited space in the gallbladder to store the bile. The bile, produced in the liver, stays in the liver and leads to liver congestion, which could lead to more problems.
Another problem is that bile produced in the liver has to flow down to the gallbladder to push out the stones with the help of gallbladder contraction, assisted by lemon or grapefruit juice. If the liver is congested, bile flow is restricted, so as a result, there is insufficient bile in the gallbladder to push the stones out.
After Gallbladder Surgery Is Done
To understand this article we have to know that the gallbladder stores, concentrates and secretes bile, which body produces in the liver. Most people know that bile in the intestine is necessary for the digestion and absorption of fat and is also important for lubricating the intestinal wall. Once the gallbladder is removed, the bile has lost its storage space and tended to accumulate in the liver, so the result is a reduced bile flow because the liver does not contract to squirt the bile into the intestine as a healthy gallbladder does. The reduced bile flow usually causes problems such as indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea. When the accumulated bile becomes congested in the liver, it weakens liver functions.[1]
This could even lead to depression, which is, according to Chinese medicine, a sign of blocked liver energy. The combined effects of liver congestion and intestinal sluggishness may also cause a sleep disorder, insomnia, or bad breath. Furthermore, the reduced bile flow could weaken the spleen and pancreas. In some cases, this side effect is so strong that even may result in diabetes.[8]
Auto-immune diseases and allergies may also be the result of gallbladder removal because they are often caused by a weak liver and spleen.
Other health problems that patients may experience after gallbladder removal include itchy skin, arthritis, or anemia, where allergy and arthritis are associated with a weak liver and spleen. Itchy skin is usually caused by weak spleen as well if inflammation is involved. If there are no rashes, it may be caused by bilirubin, which is one of the major components in bile crystallizing under the skin. When excessive bilirubin is in the blood due to excessive bile carried to blood circulation from the liver, it may crystallize. This substance crystallizes because it has low solubility in blood. Excessive bile in blood is usually the result of a stagnant bile flow caused by liver congestion or some blockage, as explained earlier. In this process, it is important to understand that our red blood cells live about 100-120 days. The worn-out cells are destroyed by the spleen or the liver, so when the spleen and liver are healthy, the broken down products would be recycled to produce new red cells. Weak liver and weak spleen that have poor recycling capabilities may lead to anemia.
In these cases, the only relief is to stimulate the bile flow.
Until now, a combination of taking Chinese Bitters in the morning and Coptis at night showed best results for patients who already had gallbladder surgery. This combination is supposed to help these patients relieve symptoms related to gallbladder removals, such as sleep problems and difficulty with a bowel movement.
It is common for people who have had their gallbladder surgically removed to have gallstones in the liver.
When the bile that is produced in the liver cannot be stored in the gallbladder anymore, it tends to get congested in the liver. When the bile is stagnant in the liver for too long, it becomes too concentrated, so then cholesterol and bile pigments may crystallize. This process leads to the formation of stones in the liver, similar to what happens in the gallbladder.
Highly processed and fat-rich diet is, along with obesity, one of the main risk factors for gallstones. Due to an excess of cholesterol, many people will make dietary changes to avoid discomfort after their cholecystectomy. Therefore, it is not uncommon for individuals who have had their gallbladder removed to lose weight spontaneously. However, it is also important to keep in mind that people who experience trouble with weight loss after gallbladder removal should always seek to find the cause of their weight gain by consulting their doctors, especially if they have indeed made lifestyle changes that should logically have caused them to lose weight following their cholecystectomy.